
Leo Gorcey
Born June 3, 1917 · New York City, New York, USA
Leo Gorcey's parents were actor Bernard Gorcey (born 1888) who stood 4' 10", and Josephine Condon (born 1901), who stood 4' 11" and weighed 95 pounds; they worked in vaudeville in New York. In 1915, 14-year-old Josephine gave birth to Fred. In 1917, Leo was born, a large baby at 12 lb. 3 oz.; as an adult he would be 5' 6". In 1921 his brother David Gorcey was born. In 1935, Leo and David appeared in the stage play "Dead End." In 1937, this was made into a movie, and Leo became one of the busiest actors for the next 20 years -- from 1937-1939 he starred in seven Dead End Kids movies, from 1940-1945 in 21 East Side Kids films, from 1946-1956 in 41 Bowery Boys movies. In 1939, Leo married 17-year-old dancer Kay Marvis, who appeared in four of his movies. They divorced in 1944 after five years of marriage; she went on to marry Groucho Marx. In 1945, Leo married Evalene Bankston; they divorced in 1948. Leo was to have paid her $50,000 in a divorce settlement; however, when two detectives she hired broke into his home, he retaliated by firing his gun at them. They sued, and Leo countersued for illegal entry and won $35,000 back. In 1949, Leo married Amelita Ward, whom he met while filming Smugglers' Cove (1948). Their marriage produced Leo Gorcey Jr. in 1949, and a baby girl they named Jan (after Leo's producer and manager, Jan Grippo) in 1951. They divorced in 1956. That year Leo married his young nanny, Brandy, who was taking care of his two kids. They had a baby girl, Brandy Jo, in 1958. The couple divorced in 1962. Leo went to the altar one last time in February, 1968, marrying Mary Gannon. He stayed married to her until his death from liver failure on June 2, 1969, in Oakland, California.
More Movies

They Made Me a Criminal

Dead End

Out of the Fog

Invisible Stripes

So This Is New York

Dracula: A Cinematic Scrapbook

Let's Go Navy!

Swingtime in the Movies

Angels Wash Their Faces

That Gang of Mine

Here Come the Marines

Ghosts on the Loose

Jalopy

Destroyer

Down in San Diego

Hell's Kitchen

Maisie Gets Her Man

Jail Busters

Headin' East

Live Wires

The Phynx

Midnight Manhunt

Triple Trouble

Crime School

The Bowery Boys Meet the Monsters

Docks of New York

Spooks Run Wild

Let's Get Tough

Mr. Muggs Rides Again

Terror in the Pharaoh's Tomb

Angels with Broken Wings

Kid Dynamite

Boys of the City

Pride of the Bowery

Mr. Muggs Steps Out

Paris Playboys

Loose in London

The Bowery Boys: Legends of Laughter

Second Fiddle to a Steel Guitar

Fighting Fools

Dig That Uranium

Born to Sing

On Dress Parade

Feudin' Fools

Bowery to Bagdad

Crashing Las Vegas

Bowery Buckaroos

Private Detective

Mr. Wise Guy

Classic Comedy Teams

News Hounds

Gallant Sons

Master Minds

Mannequin

Angels' Alley

Lucky Losers

Bowery Blitzkrieg

Sunday Punch

Clancy Street Boys

Spy Chasers

Trouble Makers

Clipped Wings

Hard Boiled Mahoney

The Beloved Brat

Portia on Trial

Private Eyes

Crazy Over Horses

Ghost Chasers

Blonde Dynamite

Jinx Money

In Fast Company

Spook Busters

Hold That Line

Bowery Bombshell

Hullabaloo

Flying Wild

Jungle Gents

Angels in Disguise

High Society

Blues Busters

'Neath Brooklyn Bridge

Bowery Battalion

Smuggler's Cove

Follow the Leader

Mr. Hex

Hold That Baby!

Block Busters

Bowery Champs

No Holds Barred

Million Dollar Kid

Come Out Fighting




